


your touch, my comfort, and my lullaby

by hourglassmermaid



Series: Zimbits Prompts [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, POV Jack Zimmermann, Post Year Three, Stanley Cup, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:48:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hourglassmermaid/pseuds/hourglassmermaid
Summary: [Prompt] 36. "Tell me I'm wrong."Jack hears shuffling and the sound of the latch unlocking. He steps inside and closes the door behind him. Bitty’s perched on top of the toilet seat, hugging his bare legs to his chest. It looks like he’s wearing one of Jack’s Falcs shirts. His phone rests on the sink vanity. It lights up and vibrates with new notifications every few seconds.“Is everything okay?” Jack asks, sitting on the edge of the tub across from him.“Yeah,” Bitty says, wiping his nose with his sleeve. “I finally turned my phone back on, and it’s blowing up… It’s… a lot.”





	your touch, my comfort, and my lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I'm still working on the prompts, I've just been in a funk lately, I guess. 
> 
> A little angst post the kiss seen 'round the world!
> 
> Hang out with me on [tumblr](http://hourglassmermaid.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/izzylightbane) for more fun!
> 
> Title comes from [EASE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAt1m1lQK3w) by Troye Sivan!

Sunlight peaks through a crack in the curtains, waking Jack — much too soon if you ask him. He stirs and covers his eyes with his bicep. Jack’s head feels like he just took a thousand pucks to his bucket, and he might vomit if gets up too quickly. But it was worth it. Fuck, was it worth it.

Sure, players win the cup in their rookie year every season, but this feels different. Because it’s Jack himself experiencing it or because of his big comeback after the incident, he’s not sure, but it’s different. Or maybe it’s because of—

He reaches for Bitty on the other side of the bed and pauses when he finds empty sheets beside him. He risks getting the sun in his eyes and uncovers his face. He sits up and confirms that he’s alone in the bed. Jack was most definitely _not_ alone when he went to bed, and Bitty isn’t typically an early riser. 

He gets up and throws on a pair of boxers and t shirt. He makes his way to the ensuite and freezes when he hears muffled sniffling on the other side. 

Jack knocks. “Bud, are you in there?” He presses his ear to the door. 

“Yeah, just a sec, honey,” Bitty calls. 

Jack hears shuffling and the sound of the latch unlocking. He steps inside and closes the door behind him. Bitty’s perched on top of the toilet seat, hugging his bare legs to his chest. It looks like he’s wearing one of Jack’s Falcs shirts. His phone rests on the sink vanity. It lights up and vibrates with new notifications every few seconds. 

“Is everything okay?” Jack asks, sitting on the edge of the tub across from him. 

“Yeah,” Bitty says, wiping his nose with his sleeve. “I finally turned my phone back on, and it’s blowing up… It’s… _a lot_.” 

“About us?”

Bitty nods and passes Jack his phone. That’s how Jack knows it’s serious. Bitty never relinquishes his phone to anyone. 

Jack scrolls through Twitter. There must be hundreds, if not thousands, of comments about their kiss. Some confused, some supportive, and some cruel, to say the least. 

“Don’t listen to them, bud,” Jack soothes. It’s empty reassurance, and they both know it. Jack’s been trying his best to lock down the anxiety storm brewing all night, but he doesn’t know how much longer he can last — especially when Bits is upset. 

Bitty motions for his phone. Jack hands it back to him. “I know, but it’s not just them.” He taps at the screen to open a new app. He turns the phone towards Jack to show him. 

Bitty has 37 missed calls from Suzanne and 8 from Coach. Jack swallows. Bitty takes his phone back and fiddles with it some more before showing Jack again. He has at least 20 unopened texts from his parents and dozens more from the rest of his relatives. 

His phone slips through his fingers and falls to the floor. Bitty doesn’t even flinch, just lets it lay there. Jack picks it up and puts it on the vanity, face down. 

“I can’t talk to them, honey. I’m not ready. I’m not ready for them to—” Bitty buries his face behind his knees. “To disown me.” His voice is so small and far away, he might as well be in Georgia rather than Providence. 

“Bits.” Jack kneels in front of him and tentatively places a hand on his leg. Bitty doesn’t shake him off, so Jack rubs circles on Bitty’s skin with his thumb. 

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Bitty instructs, and it sounds like a plea, like he’s begging, like he needs none of this to be real. 

Jack knows how lucky he is. He knows most parents aren’t as understanding, as accepting as Bob and Alicia. He never had to go through what Bitty’s about to. Jack doesn’t know what to do, what to say to make this right. 

“I can’t,” Jack says after a while.

“Ex—”

Jack cuts him off. “I can’t, bud, because we don’t know what happens next.” Bitty looks at him from under his lashes. Jack squeezes his leg. “We won’t know until you talk to them, but whatever happens, I’ll be right here with you.” 

A hint of a smile forms at the corners of Bitty’s lips. He wraps his arms around Jack’s neck, knocking him onto the ground. Bitty nuzzles up against Jack’s cheek. Jack takes him in his arms and pulls Bitty into his lap. 

“Thank you,” Bitty whispers. “I love you, honey.”

“I love you too.” 

They’ll be okay. _He’ll_ be okay. They have each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! :)
> 
> Once again, come find me on [tumblr](http://hourglassmermaid.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/izzylightbane) (I'm nice, I promise!)


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